When would a vent require repair?

With new home constructions, the trend is to have the laundry room a good distance away from an exterior wall. Although this is appealingly-convenient to the homeowner, this requires the dryer ducts to travel much greater distances. With the added distance, twists and turns, the ducts are more difficult to access and present more nooks and crannies for lint buildup and even animal habitation. As lint and animal debris accumulates in a long duct system, the dryer is deprived of much needed air flow, causing high heat and inefficiency problems. In a gas dryer, this can also lead to a release of carbon monoxide.

As ducts make their way throughout the home, there is also more opportunity for damage to the ducts or even detachment at points. In many new home constructions, the duct seals are not secure from the start and the high heats of damaged, congested or inefficient ducts can easily loosen a seal. Duct leaks are impossible to locate in these lengthy systems without a professional.

Your system may also need to be evaluated for current building and fire safety codes. These codes include strict guidelines that every dryer ventilation system must adhere to. Unless you yourself are a builder (or a White Glove professional), you probably do not know what these codes require or even if you are out-of-code. A White Glove professional will make sure that your system meets the required codes for safety and efficiency. For example, if your dryer is joined to the wall by plastic flex ducts, they will need to be replaced with metal. The reason that code calls for metal ducts as opposed to plastic flex ducts is that metal ducts ensure a smooth, seamless flow of air while plastic flex ducts cause resistance and inefficiency.

Why re-route?

In many of these cases, the ducts are not conducive to air flow and simply won’t allow your system to work efficiently. For example, if your duct system involves inclines and turns, air simply won’t have the force to efficiently run up and out of the system. When a dryer is placed based on homeowner convenience, air flow efficiency is often sacrificed. If your dryer is located on an interior wall, there is a good possibility that your system may need to be rerouted for better air flow. A White Glove professional will inspect for efficiency and air flow and reroute your system if needed. We will also analyze whether the type of duct being used is safe and appropriate for your individual system.